Call control apparatus for automatic telephone plants



I CALL CONTROL APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE PLANTS Filed ,April 71934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 at 1, 1935. H. BRODER 8 00k. 1, 1935. BRQDER2,015,783

CALL CONTROL APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE PLANTS Filed April 7,1954 2 Sheets$heet 2 cit Patented Oct. 1 1935 PATENT OFFICE CALL CONTROLAPPARATUS FOR AUTO- MATIC TELEPHONE PLANTS Hans Broder, Zurich,Switzerland Application April 7, 1934, Serial No. 719,500

- a In Germany March 25, 1933 9 Claims.

This invention relates to an auxiliary arrangement for automatictelephones by means of which the subscriber has a control of all callsrequired by him from any exchange within his system in that thefollowing data are recorded:

the number of the required connection, the date and time when theconnection is established, the termination of the call and the amountpayable therefor.

Call control apparatuses for automatic telephones are already known, forexample one in which a recording device is actuated by a separate sourceof power, whereas the other part of the device which serves forsupervising or 1 controlling the recording of the number or payment forthe call is fitted in or on the existing telephone.

The invention is distinguished from the known constructions in that tworecording strips contained in rolls of the recording device areprovided, one of which is automatically thrown out of the apparatus inthe form of a ticket after the recording, whereas the other is againwound after the printing. The printing of the recording strips iseffected by means of a fourpart printing mechanism, comprising numbers,charge, hour and date. The numbers are controlled during the adjustmentof the adjusting disc and the charge after the establishment of theconnection by the exchange-by a supervising mechanism in the circuitleading from the telephone, Whereas the time is set by means of aclockwork and the date by external action. For this purpose a drive,actuated by a coordinfate control switch, acts on the recording deby wayof example in the accompanying drawings, in Which:- v i Fig. l is acircuit diagram.

Fig. 2 shows the printing mechanism in side elevation.

Fig. 3 shows the group of Maltese cross wheels for actuating theprinting and ticket severing mechanisms.

When the receiver is removed from the fork I of the telephone anauxiliary switch 2 is closed, so that a coil 3 of a relay 4 receivescurrent from a transformer 5 and attracts an armature 6 until itsmovement is checked by a nose 1. Thus, the switch 8 is closed andcurrent flows from the transformer 5 over the switch 8 through thelimiting resistance 9 and the switch I back to the transformer, thetelephone being closed, practically no current flows through the exciterwindings II and I2 connected in parallel.

The number is then selected by inserting the finger in the hole in thedisc I3 through which V the desired number is visible, turning thenumber disc I3 in clockwise direction up to the finger abutment I4, thenwithdrawing the finger from the disc I3, whereupon the discautomatically returns into its initial position. During 10' thisprocedure the following takes place:- When the finger disc I3 is movedout of its inoperative position, the contact It] is opened so thatcurrent flows through the exciter windings II and I2. The winding IImagnetizes its magnet with the result that the nose I is pulled back inopposition to the action of the spring I5, so that,'underthe action ofthe still excited coil 3, the armature 6 continues its movement andarrives in its extreme position in at the same time compressing thespring IS. The winding i2 causes at the same time a lifting of thearmature I! which with its thrust pawl rotates through a fraction of arotation the ratchet wheel I8 of the clutch shaft I9 and thereby thisshaft, in opposition to the action of a spiral spring 20,- a lockingpawl, not shown in the drawing, preventing the backward movement of theclutch shaft I9. The clutch shaft I9 has, at the place where the thrustrods 2| of the number printing mechanism bear, a plurality of notchescorresponding to the number of thrust rods and arranged mutuallydisplaced so that only oneof the thrust rods2l is held in the directionof engagement with the coordinate ratchet wheel 22, whereas all otherrods point past their ratchet wheels 22; moreover, when the clutch shaftis in its inoperative position, all the notches are so situated thatnone of the thrust rods lie in the direction of engagement. 40

By the above described first part rotation of the clutch shaft I9 thisshaft is brought into such a position that the first thrust rod byengaging in the notch is directed towards its coordinate ratchet wheel22. The ratchet wheel 22 and the number printing wheel 23 rigidlyconnected therewith are looselymounted on a shaft 24 which is fixed andnon-rotatable. Each number printing wheel 23 is connected with a shaft24 through the intermediary of a spiral spring printing wheels is suchthat one number printing wheel is provided for all the digits of thehighest subscriber number.

If the return movement of the adjusting disc l3 now takes place, aswitch 21, owing to its repeatedly opening according to the number'to beadjusted, causes the telephone potential to be put on to the high ohmicexciter coil 28 connected1in parallel therewith a corresponding numberof times that is, if the number 5 is adjusted by means of the fingerdisc, the coil 28 will be excited successively five times during thereturn movement of the disc and attract the armature 23 a correspondingnumber of times, a switch 33 being closed for an instant each time. Eachtime the switch 30 is closed, however, it closes the circuit from thetransformer 5 to the exciter coil 3| of the number switching mechanismof the number printing device. The armature 32 is thus attracted eachtime and lifts all the thrust rods 2|, but at this stage only the firstof these rodscomes into engagement with and rotates the first numberwheel 23 in five steps such a distance that the number 5 is opposite thecontrol strip. When the adjusting disc [3 reaches its inoperativeposition, the switch Ill again shorts the windings H and I2, the core I!drops back, but the clutch shaft remains in its position, being held bythe pawl, not shown in the drawings, and is ready, during the followingadjustment of the second figure of the number to be called to bring thesecond thrust rod into engagement and so forth in the manner describeduntil the entire number selection has been carried out by the caller,after which the number called is situated in the number printingmechanism opposite the control strip. This condition remains during theconversation which then follows and only changes when the person calledagain places his receiver on the fork. By this operation the switch 2opens again and the armature 6 is pulled back by the spring 16 as thecoil 3 loses its excitation. A checking mechanism 33 comprises a smallflywheel with internally arranged free wheel, which couples thefly-weight with the shaft 16 only during the return movement of the core6 by means of a rack fitted on its free end. The return movement of thecore 6 is considerably retarded in the beginning because the inertia ofthe fly-weight must first be overcome. The counting current impulses,occurring from the exchange in the meantime immediately after thehanging .up of the receiver and produced in the known manner, aretransmitted from the exchange to the subscriber over the telephone line34, 35. The transmission of the counting current impulses is effectedfrom an exchange arranged for automatic charge recording either bydirect current, in that cadence direct voltage is put on the lead 36 andearth, or with alternating current by direct or indirect transmissionofalternating current impulses on the leads 34, 35. However, switchingarrangements are also known wherein the transmission of the impulsestakes place simultaneously over the leads 34, 35 and earth 66,especially in extended automatic telephone installations. The additionalarrangement for the automatic charge indication is described for thelast mentioned typeof transmission. In the case of purely direct currenttransmission the winding 36 is replaced by a direct current winding, oneend of which is earthed and the other end connected to the middle leadof the alarm mechanism in the station. If the transmission is effectedwith al-- ternating current over'the leads 34, 35 the parallel connectedinputs of the condensers 31 and the outputs of the windings 36 liedirectly on the leads 35, 35. In any case the remaining equipmentremains the same. The exchange transmits the charge impulses independency. 5

Suppose the counting impulses are transmitted in the form of.alternating current, the coils 36 of the alternating current relay areconnected over the condensers 3! to the leads 34, 35 and earth 40 sothat they only respond to the charge 10 signal impulses. At each impulsethe armature 38 is attracted and closes the two switches 39 and 56successively for the duration of the impulse. The switch 39 produces acurrent path from the transformer 5 over the still closed switch 15 8and the alternating current exciter coils 4| back to the transformer. Ateach impulse the armature 32 is therefore attracted and, through theintermediary of the ratchet wheel 43, rotates the charge printing wheels44 and 45 one tooth 2 against the action of a spiral spring (Fig. 2)arranged in their interior. The charge printing wheel 45 is not directlycoupled with the ratchet wheel but with the wheel 44 and rotates onefigure when the wheel 44 has performed a complete rev- 25 olution. Thisarrangement enables the charge to be directly adjusted for example indollars and cents in the charge printing mechanism, because the numberof current impulses indicates the number of charge units to be paid (1charge unit=l0 cents).

The switch 5!], however, operates in synchronism with the switch 39 andagain supplies current to the relay 4 rendered currentless by thereplacing of the receiver and performing its returning movement, theswitch 39 preventing the final dropping of the relay until the armature38 drops owing to the counting impulses not taking place and opens theswitch 553; the final dropping of the core 6 then commences because thecounting operation is terminated, the charge adjusted in the chargeprinting mechanism standing opposite the control strip. If the chargesignal takes place before the replacement of the receiver, the switch 50remains inoperative because the relay 4 is still excited andconsequently. the core 6 cannot drop.

The instant the pawl 5! mounted on the core 6 and pressed outwardly bythe spring 52 comes into contact from above with the upper spring of theswitch 53, this switch is closed for an instant whilst the pawl 5| isforced back and then, after again springing forward, continues itsdownward movement together with the core 5, in order to open the switch8 shortly before the termination of this movement. The temporary closingof the switch 53 excites the magnet 54 which now momentarily attractsits core 55. This core depresses the lever 56 so far that the switch 51closes the circuit of an electric motor 60 58. This motor now rotatesthe likewise coupled notched .disc 59 from which the catch 6|] isdisengaged during the lowering of the lever 56. The spring 6i pressesthe lever 56 upwards. The catch 60, owing to the rotation of the disc59, can no longer engage in the notch and slides on the circumference ofthe disc until it engages in the notch and opens the switch 57, therebystopping the motor.

During the rotation of the motor the recording 7 of the adjustingsprings takes place in the following manner:-

Fig. 2 shows in section the control strip 62 with the coordinate storageroll 63, the ink band 64 with pulleys 65 and 66 and the control strip75.

change after the replacement of the receiver,

t1 remaining; in the ap ratus with the storage roll 623 and winding roll(:39.

.The motor drives successively three systems by means of three Maltesecross wheels Iii, l2, 1?. (Fig! hat o e than e sy te is never driven atthe same time. The Maltese cross wheel'iil, firstly comingintoengagementcauses, by means of a mechanical transmission a sudden lowering of therollers H, thereby effecting the printing of the recorded number on thecontrol strips. The second Maltese cross wheel 12 then comes intoengagement and, by mea e t r d W el tran is ion causes the feed of thethree strips, Strip 62 isfed the length of a ticket and appearsprojecting from theapparatus, the strip 61 is fed the distance of oneline and the ink band 6 4 only a fraction of the distance of one line,Finally the third Male tese cross wheel 13 comes into engagement andactuates the shear blade (4, whereupon the ticket drops into thereceptacle 15. At the same time the pawls of the clutch shaft l 9 andthose of the number and charge printing mechanisms 22 and 4,3 aremechanically disengaged so that the charge and number printingmechanisms are returned into their zero position under the in-.

fluence of their springs. The circuit of the, motor is thenautomatically interrupted in the manner above described, and the wholeapparatus is ready for recording a fresh connection.

order to prevent the hindrance of the run-. ning down of the controllingdevice and the establishment of a fresh connection before the n rolpparatus has come to a standstill in the event of the receiver beingagain removed immediately after being replaced on the telephone, inother words to ensure that the leads 34 and 35 are cut out by theswitches 48 and 49 when the receiver is replaced. and remain so untilthe controlling apparatus has run down and is again in its inoperativeposition, the, following pro-,- Vi PIl is m e i a The return movement ofthe relay 4 taking place asabove. described after the replacement of thereceiver is; mechanically connected by the axle l6 and spring slipclutch 11 with the notched disc 18 loosely mounted on the axle [6,.During the attraction of the core 6 the slip clutch TI. rotates inclockwise direction, but cannot rotate the notched disc because the pawl80; actuating the switch 19 opposes such movement. HOW'. ever, as soonas the core 5, drops, the slip clutch rotates with the notched disc inanti-clockwise direction and lifts the pawl 80 which then opens theswitch 19 and, through the intermediary of the lever system 8|, theswitches 48 and 49. The

open switch 19, which is connected in series with the switch 2, preventsthe running down move-. ment of the core 6 from being influenced whenthe receiver is again removed from the telephone. If counting impulsesare received from the exthe core is returned each time into its upperextremeposition under the action of the switchtll V; and of the checkingmechanism 33. The pawl 80- always again engages in the. notch and theswitch 19, owing to its instability, prevents the operation of thenumber disc. When the counting impulses cease and the core 38 drops, the

switch 50 remains open during the dropping of the relay. The pawl thenkeeps open the st m emWine' n ts ext p sit onsequently, the switch 53starts the motor, The winding 46 remains in this circuit during thewhole time the motor receives current, attracts the core 4'! and inturncontinues to hold open the three switches49, .48 and 19 under the actionof the rods 81 until the whole apparatus has run down and is in its zeroposition, Whilst the motorstill running, the core 6 arrives in itsextrerne lower position and the pawl 85 engages in its notch, because acomplete inoperative movement of the core 6 corresponds to a completeroicti n 1? e n tched. i 8- To enable the apparatus to be controlled,for example after the exchanging of the control Str s or a ter e i ti sh d t a p e bu ton era ien s rovid d T press button 8 wh n act ated cloes a circu Q e i a ierrner 5, winding 54,, press button switch 85,switeh 86 eek to t e re i iqrmer 5. Thu the same operation is initiatedas when the switch 53 sup l s ur n o t e coi 54, that i th motor s swihed i and o n t t r tat n. e ec s the print n o the cont l s ps, hentheir feed and severing of a ticket and finally its own cutti out T e wtc 8 howev r, s m an cally connected with the, switch 8 in such ainangat the p atus. ca l b u d t run down by the press button when thereceiver restson its fork If this is not the case, the switch 2 is,closed and the core 6 attracted, the

switch 8 closed and the switch 86 open so that the depression of thebutton 84 remains'inefiective. i

The recording of the time and date is effected independently of thetelephone arrangement in that the number wheel 83 carrying the timemarks is rotated by a clockwork, whereas the date number wheels. 82 areset each day by hand. The driving spring of the clockwork is maintainedin wound condition either by hand or by the motor through theintermediary of a clutch arrangement. As the printing and delivcry of areceipt only takes place after the replacement of the receiver, the timecontrol always only indicates the termination of the conversation.

The apparatus is particularly suitable for telephone subscribers whoplace their telephone at the disposal of the public. It should soon payfor itself in restaurants, hotel and business houses, because, owing tothe perfect printed controland recording, differences, disputes andlosses through unauthorized use-are eliminated The invention can beevidently employed in the form described only for automatic telephoneswhich, however, will be. used everywhere in the near future. Theapparatus described maybe connected to existing: telephoneinstallations, without. any alterations being necessary.

1. An auxiliary arrangement for automatic telephones, comprising incombination with theexchange circuit, the receiver rest and the diallingmechanism, an engaging circuit connecting said rest with said exchangecircuit, a switch in said engaging circuit adapted to be operated by theremoval of i the receiver from said set to close said engaging circuit,dialling circuits connected, with said dialling mechanism, controllingmeans connected up in saidengaging circuit and said dialling circuitscontrolled by said controlling meansjfor connectingsaid diallingcircuits with said exchange circuit when said engaging-circuit ..Q .Q.wel n m Pr n me h nism nnected up'in said dialling circuits adapted tobe set to correspond with the number dialled, a charge indicatingcircuit connected with said controlling means, means in said diallingcircuit for further influencing said controlling means to connect saidcharge indicating circuit with said exchange circuit, -a charge printingmechanism arranged in alignment with said call number printing mechanismin said charge circuit adapted to be set by impulses sent through saidexchange circuit, a date and time printing mechanism in alignment withsaid printing mechanisms, a pressure plate extending over all of saidprinting mechanisms, two superposed strips with an interposed ink bandextending between said printing mechanisms and said pressure plate,means for intermittently feeding said strips over said mechanisms, meansfor lowering said plate to print the figures set thereon simultaneouslyon both of said strips, an electric motor adapted to successivelyoperate said printing means and ticket feeding means, means forcontrolling said motor, means actuated by said engaging circuitcontrolling means for temporarily connecting said motor in said exchangecircuit on the interruption of said controlling means, and means forstopping said motor and interrupting the connection between said motorand said exchange circuit.

2. In an auxiliary arrangement as specified in claim 1 the engagingcircuit control means, comprising in combination a transformer connectedin the exchange circuit, a coil connected up in the engaging circuit andwith said transformer adapted to be excited on the closing of saidengaging circuit, an armature adapted to be attracted by said coil, anose adapted to arrest the displacement of said armature, and a switchadapted to be closed by said armature to connect the dialling circuitwith the exchange circuit.

3. In an'auxiliary arrangement as specified in claim 1 the controlmeans, comprising in combination a coil connected up in the engagingcircuit, an armature adapted to be attracted by said coil when theengaging circuit is closed, a

nose adapted to arrest the movement of said armature, an exciter magnetin the dialling circuit adapted to attract said nose and liberate saidarmature to close the charge circuit with the exchange circuit.

4. In an auxiliary arrangement as specified in claim 1 the diallingmechanism, comprising a Winding connected up in and excited by one ofthe dialling circuits, an armature carrying a thrust pawl adapted to beshifted by the excited winding, a ratchet wheel adapted to be rotatedthrough a fraction of a rotation by said pawl, a clutch shaft carryingsaid ratchet wheel having a plurality of mutually displaced notches, aplurality of thrust rods of the number printing mechanism correspondingin number to'the number of notches in said clutch shaft and adapted tosuccessively engage in said notches according to the rotation of saidshaft to assure their operative position at each excitation of saidwinding, call number printing Wheels each cooperating with one of saidthrust rods, a switch on the dialling disc connected up'in the second ofsaid dialling circuits, said switch adapted to be repeatedly openedduring the rotation of said dialling disc according to the number beingdialled, a trans former in said second dialling circuit, a high ohmicexciter coil connected up in said second dialling circuit and adapted tobecome excited at each closing ofv said switch, a second switch adaptedto be actuated at each closure of said dial switch, an armature carryingall of said thrust rods, an excitercoil adapted to be connected withsaid transformer by said second switch to attract said armature as manytimes as said second switch is closed, and printing wheels one oppositeeach of said thrust rods and adapted to be rotated through a partrevolution by their respective thrust rod when in inoperative positioneach time said last mentioned armature is attracted.

5. In an auxiliary arrangement as specified in claim 1 the controllingmeans including a winding and an armature, the means for connecting thecharge indicating circuit with the exchange circuit comprising a springadapted to return said armature into its initial position, a checkingmechanism adapted to check the return movement of said armature tomaintain said charge indicating circuit in connection with the exchangecircuit.

6. In an auxiliary arrangement as specified in claim 1 the chargeprinting mechanism, comprising in combination a coil connected up in theexchange circuit, means for maintaining said coil in connection with theexchange circuit after the interruption of the engaging circuit, anarmature adapted to be attracted by said coil by impulses sent throughthe exchange circuit, a pawl carried by said armature, a ratchet wheelengaging said pawl, and a charge printing wheel mechanism connected tosaid ratchet wheel and adapted to be adjusted by said pawl and ratchetwheel according to the number of impulses sent along the exchangecircuit.

7. In an auxiliary arrangement as specified in claim 1 the motorcontrolling means, comprising in combination with the motor and thecontrolling means, which means include a coil and an armature, a shaftcarrying said motor, a clutch disc having a notch in its circumferenceon said shaft, a catch normally engaging said notch to stop said motor,a lever carrying said catch, a circuit connected to said motor, a switchin said circuit, a spring controlled pawl on said armature adapted tomomentarily close said switch and consequently said motor circuit whensaid armature is returned into its initial position, an exciter coil insaid magnet circuit adapted to be excited when the magnet coil isclosed, a core on said lever adapted to be attracted by said motorcircuit coil to rock said lever, and disengage said catch from saidnotched disc, a second switch on said lever in said motor circuitadapted to connect said motor in said motor circuit, and a springadapted to press said lever upwards to cause said catch to reengage inthe notch in said disc on the completion of a revolution, and to therebydisengage said second switch and interrupt said motor circuit.

8. In an auxiliary arrangement as specified in claim 1 the printing andticket feeding means, comprising in combination a storage drum for thesuperposed ticket strips, guide rollers adapted to guide said stripsbetween the pressure plate and the printing mechanisms, a shaft carryingthe motor, a winding drum on said shaft adapted to rewind the lowerticket strip, a notched disc on said shaft, a spring controlled catchadapted to engage said notched disc at the end of each revolution andarrest the rotation of said shaft, three Maltese cross wheelssuccessively driven by said motor rollers cooperating with one of saidwheels to lower said pressure bar, a toothed wheel transmission drivenby the second Maltese cross wheel to feed the ticket strips, and a shearblade adapted to be actuated by the third of said Mal-- tese crossWheels to cut a printed. ticket 011 the end of the upper ticket strip.

9. In an auxiliary arrangement as specified. in

claim 1 a controlling apparatus, comprising in combination a controlcircuit between the motor with the exchange circuit, a hand operatedpress button. switch normally interrupting said control circuit butadapted to close said circuit to engage said motor when the telephone isnot in use.

HANS BRODER.

